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Meany Center is proud to be part of a city-wide celebration of the legacy of Jacob Lawrence, one of Seattle’s most beloved artists, and one of the first African American artists to earn mainstream success in the United States. Lawrence, a committed educator, was on the University of Washington’s faculty from 1970 to 1980, and served as Professor Emeritus until his death in 2000.
2017 marks the 100th anniversary of Jacob Lawrence's birth, and we – together with our fellow cultural institutions – are honored to celebrate his legacy through a variety of performances, exhibitions and happenings.
CAMPUS & COMMUNITY EVENTS
SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series
January 21-April 23
Acclaimed as Lawrence’s masterwork, this epic, multi-panel series chronicles in words and pictures the exodus of African Americans from the rural South to the industrial North in the decades after the First World War.
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UW SCHOOL OF ART + ART HISTORY + DESIGN
Jacob Lawrence Gallery
In honor of the 100-year anniversary of Jacob Lawrence's birth, The Jake presents Utopia Neighborhood Club, a series of highly-participatory exhibitions and programs meant to generate ideas about the Jacob Lawrence Gallery's potential new space and future mission. LEARN MORE
Exhibitions Include:
Student Response Part I
Through January 28
Jacob Lawrence, Printmaker
February 1 – March 4
Student Response Part II – The Jake Legacy Residency
February 1 – March 4
STEP AFRIKA!
Meany Center for the Performing Arts
February 16-18
Rhythmic footsteps, body percussion and spoken word combine with projections of Lawrence’s Migration Series for a multi-media dance performance. Step Afrika!, the first professional dance company dedicated to the art of stepping, makes its Seattle debut with this evening-length performance.
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FREE STEP AFRIKA! POP-UP PERFORMANCE
Seattle Art Museum
February 19 1-1:30 p.m.
Step Afrika! gives a FREE performance at SAM, featuring creative excerpts of their work, The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.
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HENRY ART GALLERY
Jacob Lawrence: Eight Studies for the Book of Genesis
April 8 – October 1
This exhibition features a suite of silkscreen prints that tell the Genesis narrative of creation through Lawrence’s recollected memories of time spent witnessing sermons in the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.
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